Accessorizing

Today we picked up Al's ring at the mall and happened to wander into a trinket shop that was having a store relocation sale.

Among the tacky Christmas and cutesy pet figurines was a display case of Swarovski crystal jewelery on sale. A beautiful necklace and earring set caught my eye and I just had to drag Al back inside to take a look. For the past month I have been trying to decide on my jewelery for the wedding. I wanted something simple, yet elegant. The set featured three beautiful round Swarovski crystals, encircled by pale blue crystals. On top of that, it was 30% off, even though it is from their new collection of jewelery.

Something blue...something new....CHECK!

Al did the honors of putting it around my neck and we unanimously decided that it was the perfect look and perfect price. :)

Ask anyone and they will tell you that I don't really have an extensive jewelery set, but I can see this piece becoming a memorable keepsake. I'm really pleased with it, and I'm so happy that I'm done searching for accessories. Now to focus on making my bridesmaids look just as fantastic!

Finishing Touches

With the wedding only 90 days away, I'm feeling pretty good about where we stand on food, attire, the venue, and potential decor.

This month we hammered out the details for catering. This was by far the biggest challenge since we are trying to stick to our budget, and provide a meal that will not be forgettable. We searched high and low for a menu that catered to the tastes of our friends and family, which was not easy.

Although it is nice to have all of the coordinating taken care of, we quickly found that many catering companies were simply out of our price range, and were not worth the price for the lackluster menus they provided us.

In the end we have decided to go with our favorite restaurant, Tangerine Cafe. (http://www.tangerinecafecary.com/) While they do not have a whole lot of experience with larger events, the manager Bernard has experience working large events from his background in Hotel service. Al and I frequently visit his restaurant in Cary, which offers a blend of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, and South East Asian flavors. In addition, their meals are customizable, which makes me one happy vegetarian.

We are happy to be working with Tangerine Cafe, and are thrilled to share some of their treats with you. The menu for the evening will include:

Appetizers
Fresh Mint Rolls
Tofu marinated in lemongrass, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts and mint leaves rolled in rice paper. Served with a hoisin dipping sauce with chopped peanuts.

Vegetable Pakoras
Minced vegetables in a gram flour batter. Served with a tamarind sauce.


Main Course:
Korean Style Beef (Bul-go-gi)
Tender slices of seared steak marinated in a Korean barbecue sauce. Served with grilled summer vegetables.

Miso Glazed Salmon
Pan fried salmon in ginger miso and honey glaze. Served with stir fried mixed vegetables.

Vegetarian Green Coconut Curry
Thai green curry and coconut milk base topped with an Asian vegetable medley and tofu.

*All meals will be served with jasmine rice.

Desert will be provided by The Cup Cake Bite Bakery in Fuquay Varina
Varieties of cupcake being served will include:
Strawberry Shortcake with vanilla
Dark Chocolate with hazelnut
Coconut Cream with shaved coconut topping

For pictures of their wonderful treats, visit Christi Ann Photography's Website here:
http://christiannphotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/cup-cake-bite-fuquay-varina-nc.html